Cap



Nov. 4, 1958 J. LITOWSKY CAP Filed March 6, 1956 ll lll .livnln u u l l u l lr l I Hill I 'ENTOR ATTORIE'YS.

United States Patent CAP Julius Litowsky, Liucolnwood, Ill., assignor to S & L Novelty Co., Chicago, 111., a partnership consisting of Jacob W. Roller and Julius Litowsky Application March 6, 1956, Serial No. 569,931

3 Claims. (Cl. 2172) This invention relates to a cap, and more specifically to a cap having a band or flap which may be folded downwardly to protect a wearers ears and neck.

Caps having foldable bands or flaps are commonly known in the trade as either in-band or out-band caps, depending upon whether the bands lie inside or outside the crowns of the caps when those bands are in raised position. A particular advantage of out-band caps in contrast to the in-band variety, resides in the fact that.

the inner dimensions of their crowns remain the same regardless of the flap or band positions. Consequently, the crown of an out-band cap, when properly fitted upon a wearer, will retain its proper fit whether the out-band is in raised or in lowered position.

Unlike in-band caps, however, out-band caps must be provided with some additional means for normally maintaining the bands or flaps in raised position. For this purpose, the bands are often equipped with strings or ribbons which may be secured together above the crown of the cap. Aside from their unattractive appearance, tiestrings are generally inconvenient to manipulate; and since they are normally exposed above the crown of the cap, such strings tend either to become more tightly knotted or to loosen from each other during normal wear and treatment of the cap.

In selecting a cap of the proper size for any particular individual, it is apparent that a primary consideration is to provide a cap having suitable crown dimensions. Even where a wearer has been fitted with an in-band (or outband) cap having the proper crown size, however, it is often found that the band or flap when turned downwardly does not fit well about the wearers neck and ears. Since the neck sizes of people having the same crown measurements vary considerably, the downwardly folded flaps frequently fit either too tightly or too loosely about the wearers neck and ears to be comfortable and to afford adequate protection.

It is, therefore, one of the main objects of the present invention to provide an out-band cap which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages and defects of present caps. Another object is to provide a cap having a flap which may be folded downwardly about the neck and ears of a wearer, and which is provided with means for insuring a proper and comfortable fit without pinching or drawing about the wearers neck and ears. A further object is to provide an attractive and practical out-band cap equipped with elastic means for tightly holding the band or flap in a normally raised position against the sides and rear of the caps crown, and for drawing the band forwardly against the neck and ears of a wearer when the flap is folded downwardly into a lowered position. In this connection, it is also a specific object of this invention to provide means for drawing the front edges of the band snugly against the sides of a wearers head when the band is lowered, and to hold the front edges of the band tightly against the crown of the cap when the band is raised. A still further object is to provide a cap having a downwardly foldable, non-elastic out-band and an elastic web extending between the front edges of the band and the edge of the caps crown above the visor, for urging the hand against the neck and ears of a wearer and for shielding the portions of a wearers head between the front edges of the band and the visor. Other objects and advantages will appear from the specification and drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cap embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the cap and (like Figure 1) shows the out-band in raised position; Figure 3 is a side elevation similar to Figure 2, but showing the band or flap in lowered position; and Figure 4 is a broken enlarged sectional view taken along lines 44 of Figure 3.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a cap having a crown 11, a visor or beak 12 and a foldable band or flap 13. These component parts may be formed from leather, fabric or other suitable material, and may be stitched or otherwise joined together in any customary manner. While crown 11 is shown in the drawings as being formed from several pieces of soft pliablematerial, it will be understood that the crown might be pieced together in a variety of ways and that, if desired, it may be formed from a single piece of leather or other flexible material.

Visor 12 is secured to the lower front edge of the crown by stitching 14 and, as shown in Figure 4, is prefmay be formed integrally with the crown 11, if such construction is desired. Wall 16 is preferably fur-covered to enhance the appearance of'the cap and to keep the neck and ears of a wearer warm and comfortable when the flap is in lowered position.

As shown most clearly in Figure 3, flap 13 extends along the lower side and rear edges of crown 11 and has its. ends disposed adjacent opposite sides of visor 12. A pair of elastic webs 18 extend between the opposite ends of the flap and the lower front edge of the crown 11. Each of the webs is generally triangular in shape, and has a pair of'adjacent edges secured to flap 13 and crown 11 by stitching 19 and 14, respectively. Webs 18 may be formed from any suitable elastic material such as rubber or an elasticized fabric capable of expanding and contracting in at least two directions, as indicated by the double arrow of Figure 3.

Normally, the out-band will be maintained in the raised position shown in Figures 1 and 2. When the band is in this condition, webs 18 urge the'front edges or ends of the band inwardly against the sides of crown 11. Since the Webs extend downwardly and forwardly as well as inwardly, the entire band is directed forwardly, and consequently the band or flap is pulled tightly against the crown of the cap. As a result, the band will tend to remain in raised position regardless of the movement and activity of the wearer.

In cold weather, a wearer of the cap may pull flap 13 downwardly to cover and protect his ears and neck. Webs 18 which extend upwardly, forwardly and inwardly when the band is in lowered position, tend to draw the band forwardly and pull it snugly against the back of the wearers neck. In addition, since the webs extend inwardly from the front edges of the band, they urge the band against the wearers ears and against the sides of his face and neck.

Patented Nov. 4, 1958 It is'to be noted that when the band has been unfolded into alowered' position, inner portions of the webs extend edgesof the band. The outer portions of thewebs act'as shields along the fr'ont'e'dges' of the band; and deflect coldair currents which might otherwise tend to pass rear wardly between'the fro'rifportio'ns of the band andthe wearers head. As mentioned above, band" or fia'p 13'i's preferably fur-lined. warmth, the heavy fur'lin'ing tends" to space the outer portions of the webs 18 a slight distance from the wea'rers head, thereby preventing. any pinching or other discomfo'rt which might be caused by facial Contact with the elasticized webs. The lateral, substa'ntially'parallel edges of the; forwardly a'n'd downwardly projecting visor also contrib'ute'in' spacing the'webs from the wearers face.

It is believed evident from the foregoing that the triangular elastic webs 18 operate to draw the flexible but substantially inelastic band 13 snugly against the neck and ears of a wearer. This is true despite differences in neck sizes of different persons having substantially the same cranial measurements. Consequently, when an individual is fitted according to his head size with a cap embodying the present invention, the elastic webs 18 will insure a snug and comfortable fit of the band around his neck and ears when that band is turned downwardly into a lowered position.

While the present invention has been described in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that many of these details may be varied by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

l claim:

1 An out-band cap having a flexible inelastic crown, a forwardly projecting visor secured to the front portion of the crowns lower edge, said visor having substantially parallel side edge portions and having substantially the same width as said crown, a flexible and inelastic band secured to the side and rear portions of the crowns lower edge and having forwardly disposed ends terminating adjacent the junctions of said visors side edges with the loweredge of said crown, said band being foldable between a raised position against said crown and a lowered position extending downwardly therefrom, and a pair of elastic webs each being of triangular shape and each having a first side secured along a front end of said band, a second side secured to the front portion of the crowns lower edge above said visor, and a third free side, said webs being. stretchable and contractable along lines par- In' addition to providing added 4. allel with said third free side for drawing the free longitudinal edge portion of said band forwardly and upwardly into snug contact with the neck of a wearer when the band is in lowered position and for urging said free longitudinal edge portion forwardly and downwardly into tight contact with the outer surface of said crown when said band is in raised position, the side edge portions of said visor cooperating with said webs for maintaining the same in spaced relation to the face of a wearer when said band'is in lowered'position.

2. In an out-band cap having a flexible inelastic crown providing continuous front, rear and side edge portions, a visor secured to the front edge portion. ofv said crown, a flexible and inelastic band of substantially uniform width having one of its longitudinal edges secured to the side and rear edge portions of said crown and having its ends terminating adjacent the intersections of the lateral edges of said visor with the front edge portion of said crown, said ends of said band providing front edges extending at substantially right angles to the lower edge portions of said crown, said band being foldable between a raised position against said crown and a lowered position extending downwardly therefrom, and a pair of elastic webs each being triangular in shape and each having one side secured to a front edge of said band, a second side secured to the front edge portion of said crown above said visor, and a third free edge, said webs extending over said visor and being stretchable and contractable along lines parallel with said third free side for drawing said inelastic band' upwardly and forwardly against the neck and ears of a wearer when said band is in lowered position and for urging said band forwardly and downwardly against said'crown'when said band is in raised position.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which the lateral edges of said visor are substantially parallel and are spaced apart substantiallythe full width of said crown for holding said webs in laterally spaced relation with the face of a wearer when said band is in lowered position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 344,231 Arnheim June 22, 1886 703,606 McLou'ghlin July 1, 1902 948,273 Finestone et al. Feb. I, 1910 1,804,356 Lowenthal May 5, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 54,216 Denmark Jan. 19, 1938 

